THE BASICS

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States.

The most preventable cause of skin cancer is overexposure

to ultraviolet (UV) light, either from the sun or from artificial

sources like tanning beds.

The two most common types of skin cancer—basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas—are highly curable, but can be disfiguring and costly to treat. Melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, is more dangerous and causes the most deaths.

People with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop skin cancer. Risk factors vary for different types of skin cancer.

Information courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).